Los Angeles Chargers vs Jacksonville Jaguars Wild Card Odds, Time, and Prediction

The Jacksonville Jaguars have made it to the Wild Card Playoffs only for the fourth time in the 21^st century. Further, Saturday’s game with the Los Angeles Chargers is going to be their first postseason game since 2018.

The big question is whether this is going to be the Jags first and final playoff game of 2023. Oddsmakers see the visitors as the favorites, although the odds aren’t miles apart between the two.

Los Angeles Chargers vs Jacksonville Jaguars Wild Card Odds

When, Where, and How to Watch?

• Place: TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida
• Date: Saturday, January 14, 2023
• Time: 8:15 PM ET
• How to Watch: NBC

The Chargers Looking for Revenge for Week 3 Blowout Loss

When these two AFC rivals met in Week 3, the Jaguars demolished the Chargers 38-10. The Jags did great offensively in that game, but one of the key reasons why the Chargers didn’t do better is that their QB Justin Herbert was struggling with an injury.

This time, however, Herbert is 100% fit and ready to continue playing great. He’s been terrific since the start of 2023, throwing for two TDs and no interceptions in each of the previous two games. The QB has thrown for 200+ yards in all but one game in the regular season. And the game in question is the one against the San Francisco 49ers – the NFL’s best defense.

That said, we expect to see a lot from Herbert & Co. in Saturday’s game. We also expect the Chargers’ defense to show up. This goes especially for their passing defense, which needs to be at its best in order to stop the Jacksonville’s offense.

Playing against in-form Trevor Lawrence won’t be easy, but the Chargers do have one of the best pass defenses in the league. In fact, they were the No. 1 pass defense in the NFL in the second half of the regular season. Truth be told, they didn’t play against too strong passers during that period.

Confidence Is Sky-High in Jacksonville

The Jaguars are 5-0 in their last five with just one win happening in overtime. The win in question happened against the mighty Dallas Cowboys in Week 15 – the Jags beat them 40-34. Trevor Lawrence was superb in that game throwing for four touchdowns and just one interception.

Actually, the Jaguars have been amazing in the offense over the last couple of weeks. Their scoring average in the last five is 29.2. That’s even more impressive considering that they played against some really tough defenses. Apart from the Cowboys, they also played against the New York Jets, who are NFL’s No. 4 defense.

Speaking of defense, JAX haven’t been too bad either. They finished the regular season as the No. 12 defense with 20.6 points conceded per game on average. However, their defensive average in their last three is just 7.3.

Los Angeles Chargers vs Jacksonville Jaguars Prediction

If you compare these two teams player-for-player, you could get the idea that the Chargers are far superior to the Jaguars. However, the boys from Jacksonville are in top shape right now, both offensively and defensively. Plus, Saturday’s Wild Card game is played on their turf where they’re without a loss since October.

Picks: Jacksonville Jaguars to win; under to hit